Page 47
by t.j.guard
Summary: Ian's high school love returns to his life, bringing her gift of sight and its consequences with her. Ian/OC
1. Chapter 1

Page 47

Disclaimer: I don't own National Treasure, the sequel, etc.  
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Chapter One:

"Are you sure asking Ian to be a groomsman is a good idea?" Abigail asked. She and Ben had been discussing their wedding for quite some time, and this day, the discussion locale was their living room.

"How much harm can he do at a wedding, Abi?" Ben asked in response. "Perhaps I should ask my best man."

"Huh, what?" Riley asked, looking up from his computer.

"What do you think about Ian joining the wedding party?"

"He tried to shoot me!"

"There we go," Abi whispered.

"I want him back on our side!"

"I rest my case." Ben got up to leave when Riley stopped him.

"Is Ian even out of jail?"

"Yeah, actually. Released last week." After a pause, "Thanks for your help."

"Yep."

AAA

"Now, Kelsie, do you have any specific security concerns?" Agent Sadusky asked the blonde haired girl on the other side of her desk.

"Not really," she replied, not yet mentioning the odd visions she'd been having about a man in a red uniform.

"Alright. Is there anything specific you want us to know?"

"Have a seat." Slowly, carefully, and in detail, Kelsie Williams described the man that had haunted her dreams from almost day one, and the odd vision out-page forty-seven. All the while, Sadusky listened attentively, taking notes here and there, even.

"Why do you see a page in a book one time, and an eighteenth-century British soldier the rest of the time?"

"Beats me."

"In your vision, did page forty-seven...say anything?"

"Not that I can remember. I haven't had the vision since."

"I see. That's all I needed to know. Thank you."

"Thanks for stoppin' by," Kelsie called after him as he left. Wow, she thought. The wedding of the century and she was in it. Hey, maybe that foreign exchange kid from high school will be there. "Ian Howe," she whispered to herself, allowing the words to flow over her tongue. Each time she so much as thought of him, the old feelings she'd had came back, full force.

Abigail knocked on her office door, distracting Kelsie from her musings. "Come in."

"Did Sadusky talk to you already?" she asked.

"Yeah, absolutely."

"You're good to go?"

"Yep, a hundred per cent."

"Okay, just checking."

"Have fun, and take a day off, would ya? We don't want another Bridezilla trying to create what already is the wedding of the century."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, good idea. Good idea. I'll do that."

Not that Kelsie thought she would.

AAA

After spending roughly two days total dress shopping, Kelsie had managed to escape the company of the other bridesmaids and Abigail, her boss and the bride. What a day. They'd finally settled on a light periwinkle silk for the dresses, designed to show a little off, complete with scarves to match. It had taken Abi a lot longer to settle on a dress for the ceremony: a white, beaded, torso hugging thing with a mass of tule for a skirt.

AAA

Ben was pacing back and forth the day of the wedding as his groomsmen, led by best man Riley, looked on. "Sheesh, Ben, bundle of nerves much?" Riley asked.

"This is it, Ri, the big day," Ben replied.

"Ben, if you don't mind, I'd like to get our order straight," Ian said, breaking Ben's pacing spell. "Riley, myself, Joseph, and Carl, correct?"

"Riley, you, Carl, Joseph."

"Thank you."

"Okay, people. Places! Five minutes to the ceremony, let's move it." The groomsmen walked single file out the door in reverse order, followed by Ben. "You'll do fine," Riley reassured his best friend.

"Thanks. I really can't thank you enough for your help these past few months."

"Don't worry 'bout it. It's the best man's job." To the others, he shouted, "Okay, pair time!"

Ian thought to himself, Life-altering indeed, as he stepped into place right beside Kelsie. Kelsie? She was here? How?

"Ian! Wow," she whispered.

"Fancy seeing you here," he replied.

Right next to Ian, where she'd always dreamed of being. Kelsie had almost attained that dream during that time Ian had spent at her school, but then there was Ella, Queen of Bunker Hill High School, Lexington, Massechussets.

"Last time I saw you was at prom that year you were here," she whispered, right before the ceremony started. They walked down the aisle to the tune of the music and split accordingly as the last pair finished the walk and in came the groom, Ben Gates. A few minutes behind Ben was a cute little five-year-old throwing petals into the air, and right behind her was Abigail Chase, soon to be Abigail Gates, at least, if neither one left the altar.

"Who gives this woman to be wed?" the preacher asked.

"I do," a fifty- or sixty-something woman said as she stood and then sat down again. Heavy German accent.

"Repeat after me," he said to Ben. "I, Benjamin Franklin Gates,"

"I, Benjamin Franklin Gates,"

"take Abigail Chase,"

"take Abigail Chase,"

"to be my wedded wife,"

"to be my wedded wife,"

"to have and to hold,"

"to have and to hold,"

"in sickness and in health,"

"in sickness and in health,"

"come hell or high water," Surpressed chuckes spurred through the witnesses.

"come hell or high water,"

"till death do us part."

"till death do us part."

The preacher then turned to Abi and said, "Repeat after me. I, Abigail Chase,"

"I, Abigail Chase,"

"take Benjamin Franklin Gates,"

"take Benjamin Franklin Gates,"

"to be my wedded husband,"

"to be my wedded husband,"

"to have and to hold,"

"to have and to hold,"

"in sickness and in health,"

"in sickness and in health,"

"come hell or high water,"

"come hell or high water,"

"till death do us part."

"till death do us part."

"By the power vested in me by God and the state of Massechussets, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." So, Abigail Chase and Ben Gates kissed, and they were Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Gates. Best man and maid of honor followed the couple, followed by Kelsie and Ian, and the other two couples, and, as a rule, they diverged to their separate suites.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

The reception area was decorated to look like an underground cave, where the two treasures were found. The lights had been dimmed for added effect, and Ian found Kelsie at a table for two, by herself. "It's amazing, isn't it? The world can go to hell within the year, and there's still at least one elaborate wedding," she said, her voice heavy with something Ian couldn't quite identify.

"May I join you?" he asked.

Startled, Kelsie simply nodded. Ian took a seat in the second chair. "Why're you bothering with me? What about Ella, or Brooke?"

"Do you remember the day those two girls managed to orchestrate an assembly for the sole purpose of revealing your deepest secret to the entire student body?"

"Yeah, that was bad. Then you went and did something stupid: solidify their point in front of everyone."

"I walked onto that stage, took the microphone, and said, 'Kelsie Williams, I'll love you until I draw my last breath.' I haven't drawn my last breath just yet."

Kelsie reached over and took his hand, at a loss for words. Finally, she said, "Heard you got released from prison on parole."

"That's a pure-bred fact."

"How'd you get there?"

"Treasure hunt."

"Must've been a big treasure."

"I wish I could've seen it." His eyes were glazed over, in another time or place.

"Ya can't take a bunch of pieces of gold with ya," she reasoned.

"This is true, but a hunt is exciting."

"This song's for all the high school sweethearts out there who found each other again," the DJ's voice rang over the crowd, just after one song ended.

"May I have this dance?" Ian asked, holding his hand out to Kelsie.

"You may," Kelsie replied as she took his hand and allowed herself to be led to the dance floor. He held her close and turned in time to the music, but he wasn't flirting heavily, as he normally would've done, even though she was very beautiful.

"Did you put spice in your hair?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Your hair smells like cinnamon."

"I think it was that shampoo we were forced to use last night. Abi was just crazy most of the time."

"Ah, a bridezilla."

"How long have you been in the States?"

"I never truly returned home that year I spent with you. Father had disowned me three months prior to my arranged departure date. I only returned to collect a few things and come back. You just haven't found me until tonight."

"I don't want to lose track of you again."

"You won't for any reason of my doing."

"SECURITY!"

"I have to go."

AAA

After grabbing her bouquet and adjusting her shoe straps for the twenty-eighth time, she found Abi and Ben in a mess of cake and icing. Not a complete wedding cake in sight. Ben tried to calm his new wife down, but in vain. Kelsie spotted, in the center of the edible debris, a small chip with '47' printed on it.

Ian found Kelsie locked in a trance, staring at the center of a cake debris field with glazed eyes. Eventually, she collapsed. Just before she hit the ground, though, he caught her. Wordlessly, he picked her up and carried her out to his car. He laid her on the back bench seat before climbing up behind the wheel and driving her to safety.

AAA

His three remaining men were exactly where he'd left them: in the main room, staring at some Syfy movie, whatever was on. Gingerly, Ian pulled Kelsie's unconscious form over the threshold while using one hand to open the door.

She began to stir and open her eyes once they were just inside and the hall stretched before them in all its Persian carpeted glory. "Kelsie, you're alright," Ian sighed, pressing her to him and squeezing for a moment.

"Of course I'm alright. I just had a vision."

"What did you see?"

"'The ancient rivers flood/spilling unto the earth blood/pushing the city west/ seeing there a new rest/Dawn fills the sky/with the silver light/so join three ancient rivers/what they destroy as the world shivers'."

"Could you write that down for me?"

"Yeah." Kelsie got to her feet with Ian's help and searched around for a notepad and a pen. When she found what she was looking for, she scrawled the poem onto a new sheet before she forgot it. She ripped the sheet free and handed it to Ian. "There ya go."

"Thank you. There's a second mattress in my room, if you don't mind getting your night's rest here."

AAA

Kelsie, not wanting to sleep in her nice dress, rummaged around in Ian's dresser for something she'd consider decent nightwear. She found a large, baggy shirt, which looked like a short nightgown on her, and wore that. "Are you finished already?" Ian asked.

"Yeah, you can come in now."

"You look good in that shirt," he said with a smile when he saw her.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she replied, taking in his tight-fitting white shirt and striped boxers. He stepped over to her and gently removed the hairtie that had matched her dress. "Forgot about that. Thanks."

He smiled at her as if to say, 'You're welcome,' but in reality, he whispered, "Rest well."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

The first rays of sun penetrated the layers of sleep that had surrounded Ian, but the first thing he noticed was their ability to grace Kelsie's features. The rays lit up her hair, making it look more blonde than it already was. He climbed out of his bed and lay next to her on the mattress he'd used to keep when Ben and Riley had to stay there every once in a while and he had to keep an eye on one of them.

Ian fingered her hair, her face, her lips, her neck, her shoulder. He licked his finger to wipe away a spot of dye that had found its way near her ear. Perhaps it was from one of her 'tried-to-dye-my-hair-and-failed' stories? Eventually, he shifted into holding her and watching the sunlight illuminate her face.

"Ian, you comin' down here or what?" Phil asked from the other side of the door, pounding it harshly.

"Quiet, Phil, she's still asleep," Ian snapped in reply. Footsteps backing away and turning to leave told him Phil had surrendered. Amazingly, Kelsie hadn't stirred. Ian dozed off again, still holding the girl he'd taken in. Yes, he was sure, this was the one he'd love all his life.

AAA

Kelsie awoke in Ian's arms, but Ian was still sleeping. Rest, Ian, she thought as she pulled away as gently as possible. She changed back into her dress and tied the scarf around her head like a headband. As she was doing so, Ian stirred awake and sat up. "Leaving so soon?"

"I guess I really should get back to my own place."

"Where would that be?"

"The GoldenView Apartment complex. You know where that is?"

"Yes, actually, I do, but isn't your car still at the venue?"

"Nope. All the bridesmaids carpooled, and I don't drive a car."

"Ah, so you learned how to ride a motorcycle?"

"Yeah, more or less. I can't do the fancy crap, but I can get places. Do you want your shirt back?"

"Keep it."

"Thanks, I think." She picked up the shirt she'd worn that night and folded it up so that at least it would look nice for her arrival back home. "So glad the wedding's over."

"I guess it's less strain on you now that all that's been worked for went fairly smoothly."

"Yeah, aside from the exploding cake."

"And your subsequent vision."

"Hey, that part wasn't so bad."

"I guess you're right. Well, I'll get dressed, then." He swapped his white shirt out for a looser, more colorful one, an action Kelsie didn't mind watching, and put on a pair of slacks. He then slipped on a pair of casual dress shoes. "You were watching me the whole time, weren't you?"

"Not to say I don't like the show."

"If you insist, we should get going."

"Okay."

AAA

Before, Kelsie really hadn't gotten a decent look at the car Ian had driven to his mansion, but now, she saw a silver SUV in the drive. "Nice ride," she said, appreciative. Ian led Kelsie around to the passenger door and opened it, allowing her to climb in. "Thanks."

He took his place behind the wheel, started the car, and pulled out. She examined the interior, twenty per cent of it polished wood, and took in the view outside her window. For the most part, the drive was quiet, and then they entered the city proper. "Kels, are you busy tomorrow evening?"

"I might be. Depends on what you're asking."

"I'm asking a question I've been meaning to ask for years: Will you go out with me?"

"I guess tomorrow after five is free."

"Chinese or Mexican?"

"Actually, my favorite place for eating out is this diner in the quaint part of town, called the Revolutionary Cafe."

"I don't know where that is."

"Don't worry. I've got directions."

"Do you know when this cafe is open?"

"Eight to eight unless you have a reservation. I have a friend who works there."

"Ah." Ian pulled into the parking lot of a fairly decent-looking apartment building with a motorcycle in one of the parking spaces. "This is the place, it seems."

"Thanks for bringing me back."

"You're welcome." Just as Kelsie opened the door to leave, he whispered, "I don't want to end this on a worse note than the high school dance." He slid his hand in such a way that his middle finger traced her jaw line in reverse, pulled her toward him ever so slightly, let her lean in just a little, and kissed her gently on the lips for just half a second. "Farewell."

"Until tomorrow."

"Yes." He watched her leave just long enough to watch the door close, and then he turned around and headed back the way he came, tasting their kiss along the way.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Ben finally caught up with Ian in a drug store. "You here for breath spray, too?"

"I have an important date."

"Honeymoon. Gotta be ready."

"Smart man. Tell me, how does one make a good first impression?"

"YOU'RE asking ME for girl advice? Wow."

"Yes, I am. This is the girl I loved in high school, as you call it here."

"And you finally worked up the nerve to ask her out?"

"Yes. Do you recommend peppermint or spearmint?"

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"No."

"Try 'em out, see what you think." After a brief trial, Ian decided upon peppermint and was about to check out when his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Ben there?"

"Ben," Ian called to the man in the breath spray aisle. "It's Riley." Ben took the phone and paused.

"Uh-huh, okay...got it...hey, uh, does Ian's date know?...okay...You have a girlfriend, Ian?"

"Not officially."

"He needs the name and where she works."

"I really don't know where Kelsie is employed. I'd hope somewhere that pays decently enough, given she has rent to pay."

"Rent?"

"This IS GoldenView we're talking about."

"Okay, Riley, how 'bout you leave a message for Kelsie at the GoldenView apartment building. Thanks, bye."

"You're taking a lot more notice of your friend."

"It was my New Year's resolution for next year. I wanna make it a habit now."

"Excellent point."

AAA

Kelsie had decided to go home for lunch, following a rather odd gut feeling, and left her customary 'Back at Noon' sign. She put on her helmet, got onto her bike, and started it.

The ride was easy enough, and there was a message for her at the office of the GoldenView apartment complex telling her there was a change of plans: Riley Poole needed them to converge at Ben's place at five thirty. Okay, she could do that. She ascended the stairs to Apartment 5C and found the door unlocked. Weird. She opened the door and screamed bloody murder.

There he was, lounging on the couch, sharpening a knife. Ryan. Right away, he was brought to attention by Kelsie's scream. When he turned to face her, she immediately recognized his slightly narrow face and green eyes. He lunged for her and she ducked. Immediately afterward, she shut the door, locked it, and searched around for a blunt object.

Ryan burst through the door, effectively snapping the lock in two, but Kelsie hadn't found anything to hit with yet. He thrust the knife toward her, and she took his wrist in both her hands, changing the blade's course with all her might. His arm finally complied with her will and pushed the knife into his diaphragm.

Kelsie dug up her cell phone and dialled a number. "Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?"

"I just killed an intruder!"

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Someone broke into my apartment and I killed him."

"Please state the address of the emergency." Kelsie gave these details carefully, struggling to keep her voice even. "The police are on their way."

"Thank you."

Within minutes, Kelsie heard the sirens, signalling the arrival of law enforcement and a sense of security, and then she turned to the window and glimpsed a silver SUV. The first responders rushed the scene, and one of them approached her. "Are you alright, miss?"

"Yeah, I think so, aside from the fact that I killed him."

"Is he the intruder, miss?"

"Yeah. He's my ex-boyfriend."

"Some balls he has."

"Yeah, I know, right?"

Ian crossed the threshold, stepped around everyone and everything else, and walked up to Kelsie. "Are you alright?"

"Not a hundred percent, but pretty good." He pulled her close and she whispered, her voice heavy with relief, "He's gone. He's really gone."

"We're going to have to ask you two to leave the area so we can tape it off."

"Okay, officer. I need to get back to work, anyway." Ian followed Kelsie out of the apartment building and let the police do their work.

AAA

Abigail paced back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the Archives building when Kelsie pulled up on her bike. The latter had been fairly surprised that, in her frazzled state, she'd arrived safely, but the former instantly unleashed a tornado of phrases describing her worry over and over again.

"I just killed a man, okay?" Kelsie snapped. "I'm sorry if I don't have perfect timing."

"I'll send you your last paycheck in the mail." Kelsie removed her tags and threw them to the ground before putting her helmet back on and speeding off.

God, what a day, she thought. And what's worse? Page forty-seven. That's what's worse. They found the poem, most likely, but they can't translate it. She pulled onto the highway and decided what she really needed was to get to the rendezvous point early.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

All five members of this rather odd group assembled in Ben's living room, while Ian's three remaining men were posted as guards on the porch and just outside the back door. "So, we have this poem in some weird code I haven't seen before in my whole life," Riley explained, "and I don't have the English version."

"I do," Ian said evenly, holding up a sheet of notepad paper.

"How?"

"I saw it," Kelsie replied. Ben, Abi, and Riley all stared blankly, to which she said, "In a vision. I see things, sometimes."

"Great, she's crazy," Ben said as he flopped into the recliner.

"She's not crazy. She's a prophetess." Ian's quick defence stunned all present into a silence which Riley was the first to break.

"Okay, believable enough. People can tell the future, sometimes."

"Still doesn't change the fact that she killed someone," Abigail spat, and Kelsie rolled her eyes.

"And I don't see the future. I just see stuff. Like the British soldier in the American Revolution, or that poem, in English, or somehow otherwise legible."

"Could you describe the soldier to me?"

"Uhm, fairly tall, brown hair, I wanna say he was a general, but I'm not sure."

"Let's see, where's my phone?" He found it in one of his pockets, flipped it open and pressed a few buttons before showing Kelsie an image of an engraving of a Revolutionary War general for the British Army. "Sir William Howe, fifth viscount Howe."

"That's it. That's him."

"You're sure?"

"A hundred ten percent."

"Why are you seeing my ancestor?"

"Wish I knew, pal. I can't control what I see."

"Did your visions tell you to kill that guy?"

"Are you listening? I can't see the future worth a flying cow crap. He was my stalker ex-boyfriend, and it was my gut. My life was in danger."

"Excuse me for getting my facts messed up."

"Abi, Kelsie, please," Ben tried to reason, standing and stepping between the two women. Kelsie got to her feet and made her way around the endtable with the antique Tiffany lamp on it in order to join Ian.

"Ben!" Abi sighed and simply turned away. "Forget it." She made her way up the stairs, leaving the other four either confused or apathetic.

"What's her problem?" Riley asked.

"I don't know and I don't have the strength to deal with it."

"You know how the big-government-job types are: God forbid a cold-blooded killer work at the National Archives/Library of Congress/etc." Kelsie walked back around to the front of the couch and plopped down into a comfortable position, and Ian followed suit, albeit more mellowly.

"BIIITCH!" Abigail descended the stairs one fourth of the way, and Kelsie and Riley were the first to burst into hysterics. Ben half-smiled, and Ian chuckled lightly. Abigail Gates was covered in shave cream and pillow feathers, a sight to behold. "What the hell have you done to my dress? Look at my hair!" Her ranting launched Ian into full-fledged laughter. "You three shut the hell up!" This only made all four laugh even harder.

"I'm sorry, Abi, but if you know anything about tar-and-feathering somebody...Oh, God," Ben managed through his laughter.

Kelsie recovered enough to catch her breath, whispering, "That's too funny, just too funny."

Ian recovered easily enough and shook his head, but he continued to chuckle lightly until he needed to catch his breath. Abi stormed upstairs to clean up and change clothes.

After the group settled down, Riley read the poem that Ian had handed him. "Most of it refers to Atlantis, I THINK, but these last two lines...?"

"You're right, Riley, but the last two talk about Eden, I'm pretty sure," Ben added.

"Eden?"

"Eden and Atlantis were the first places of man, and they're from entirely different cultures. Eden is the Hebrew garden of Paradise, the origin of mankind, until Eve tempted Adam to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve was in turn tempted by a serpent to tempt her husband, and both were banished from the garden by God.

"Atlantis, on the other hand, was a whole island city, something like Sodom or Gomorrah, which was destroyed by the gods because the people were too far off the straight and narrow."

"Dude, how do you know all this?"

"I do a lot of reading, and you're the one that knows more about Atlantis than I do. The Templar Treasure and Other Conspiracies, page 238."

"You read my book?"

"Yeah, I did. It was worth it."

"Thanks, Ben."

"So, do we find this Atlantis, Eden, whatever?" Ian asked.

"We do our best."

"The Bermuda Triangle's a dangerous place, Ben."

"How did you...?"

"And I quote, 'The ancient rivers flood/spilling unto the earth blood/pushing the city west'. The original location for Atlantis is believed to be somewhere in the Mediterranian, but west of the Mediterranian, as the poem describes, is the Bermuda Triangle. And yes, Ben, I think you're rubbing off on me, too."

"Well that happens, given the time we've spent together doing really crazy, stupid stuff."

"Okay, but if you ask me, I bet Riley wants to feel like he knows something you guys don't know," Kelsie supplied.

"That's it!" Riley blurted.

"Uh...okay. So, next step? Anyone? Anyone?"

"The President had to know about it, so maybe we should talk to him again," Riley suggested.

"Do I want to know, Ben, or is it something you just got off scott-free for?"

"I kidnapped the President of the United States and made him tell me about his super-secret book."

"No jailtime?" Kelsie asked.

"Nope. I'd have seen him," Ian replied.

"Oy." She buried her face in her palms and doubled over. Ian took her by the shoulders and allowed her to rest her head on his chest. "What's next, Ian? What's next?"

"You must rest, given today was, unusual, I believe is the word I want."

"Then I guess I'd better get back to my place."

"You may stay with me, if you like."

"May I remind you we have an audience? My own bed sounds very promising right about now, anyway, even though I can't use it. Okay, I'm officially stuck."

"Alright."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

Ian's usual morning, beginning as usual, had carried on as usual until he had company. "Wow, Ian, I didn't know you'd stoop to dating a blonde bimbo," Viktor joked, to which Ian got to his feet, took two steps, and punched his henchman right in the face.

"Vik, I told you not to talk trash about Kelsie," Phil called from the next room, all I-told-you-so.

"He was just too busy thinking about her arse," Powell laughed as he made himself a cup of coffee.

"Were you?" Ian asked Viktor, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes. Please don't hit me!"

Ian held out his hand. "Gun. Now." Reluctantly, Viktor turned in his gun and made his way back to the main room.

They'd all been through that process, knowing they'd get their guns back when they either earned them or stole them, or both. Ian examined the gun, whispering so low he could hardly hear his own words, "It's a shame, Viktor. This is a nice one."

Powell took his coffee and sat across the table from Ian, almost afraid of being any closer than he needed to be. Ian didn't mind. It was best his men were afraid of him rather than too attatched to him.

"Ian, she is your girlfriend, right?" Phil asked when he came into the dining room.

"Not officialy. I'm doing my best to change all of that, but life knowing Gates, you know how that can be."

"I found the GoldenView number in the phonebook one time and never forgot it." Ian sighed, remembering Phil's photographic memory for nonessential details. As Phil rattled off the number, Ian dialled.

"GoldenView Apartments, how may I help you?" the receptionist asked, in standard receptionist fashion.

"I'm looking for Kelsie Williams."

"You're in luck. She's visiting her apartment today."

"Good." He waited as the receptionist redirected the call to a phone in 5C.

"Hello?" Kelsie asked.

"How do you feel?"

"Well, let's see, I slept for a few hours in some motel last night and I was tempted to look you up in the phone book so I could ask you to see a movie with me, but you'd said I needed rest and went all worried-high-school-sweetheart on me last night."

"You did need rest, given the way things had been going."

"Could you get over that, please?"

"I'll try. So, about that movie..."

"Your place okay? I have the DVD."

"Alright."

AAA

Kelsie pulled into the Ian's parking lot at precisely noon, as had been agreed earlier. She followed Ian's directions regarding the drive and knocked on the door. Ian answered the door with a smile. "Make yourself at home." Seeing the DVD case, Ian laughed, "CARS? Honestly?"

"It was the best I could find, and it's a good movie."

"Honestly."

"Honestly. Sheesh, what's got you all wired?" Kelsie walked in, put the DVD into the player and let the previews run.

"Shaw's dead and Viktor had the gall to insult you."

"I'm...I'm sorry about his death. You told me once he was your best friend in the world."

"The best friend a man could ask for. He was truly a loyal man."

"So where's the funeral?"

"What funeral?"

"That's bull!"

"You see my point. Interesting."

"What else can I do? Everything else just went perfect, didn't it?"

"Apparently so." Kelsie hit ENTER on the remote on the small, ornate glass coffee table, letting the movie start.

"As far as anyone knows, we're watching a movie."

"What do you mean? That's what we planned."

"Had another vision last night. There's more to this page 47 mystery than we thought."

"What are you talking about?"

Kelsie withdrew a book from its hiding place in her tote bag. "This is my vision journal. I record everything I've ever seen in this book." It was a fairly worn, thick notebook, and it was almost full. "Read the latest entry."

Ian took the book as she handed it to him and turned to the last page, using it to trace his way back to the start of the latest entry. "'Howe's sword is emblazoned with the phrase 'Seek a Volume under the Sea', but this is clearly impossible as water dissolves ink and wears away at the paper and leather.'"

"Third paragraph."

"'Angels sing a war song, and armed men, all of one origin, gather their ranks, preparing for battle. The sun rises, and the men are taken by other men and thrown into the sea.'"

"Keep going."

"'As the men beg for mercy from the watery sacrificial alter, angels turn their backs. The soldiers had wanted to rule the world, after all, and the book was their only way of getting to do that.'"

"So, do we tell Ben?"

"Kels, the fewer people who know about this book, the better, judging by the looks of it. I have the money and resources, and you have the information. That's all we need, and this book needs to be found before anyone gets wind of it."

"When do we start?"

AAA

Kelsie and Ian dug up two duffel bags out of the bedroom to fill with clothing and other necessities for the trip, and Ian messed up the bed. Kelsie just stared. "I'm making it look like we consummated our relationship and then took a nice, celebratory vacation."

"Uh..."

"The key to a convincing bluff: you've got to hold all the cards once in a while, you know?"

"Yeah, whatever. Pick a duffel and get packing." Ian picked a bag and walked out the door. Kelsie was about to stop him when she realized he was just going back to his bathroom for a few things.

When he came back, less than ten minutes later, she asked, "Are they coming?"

"Yes, but we can't tell them."

"'Kay, got it."

Kelsie followed Ian out to his SUV, and she saw his three remaining men in back. He held the passenger door out for her and she responded with the flashy, "Why, thank you, kind sir." She saw Viktor open his mouth to speak and close it again, probably thinking better of his decision to comment. Ian put the two duffel bags with his employee's things in back before entering the vehicle on the driver's side. "You've really wised up, haven't you, Viktor?"

"Yes, sir."

"Should I expect a relapse?"

"No, sir."

"Good."

The next two minutes felt like ten hours of awkward silence until Kelsie broke it. "Miami or Bermuda?"

"Miami."

"For what?" Powell asked.

"Vacation," Kelsie replied on the fly. The corner of Ian's mouth curled up, clueing Kelsie in on the fact that she'd given him an alibi to work with so that his men didn't know.

"We get a vacation?" Viktor asked with a confused expression on his face.

"Yes, we do. When was the last time we had one?" Ian responded. After a pause, he added, "We'll stay in a nice hotel; I'll pay for everything."

"Thanks, Ian!" Phil almost laughed.

"You're welcome."

And then Ian pulled into a second drive far, far from the view of anyone looking at the mansion's front door. "We're not going to the airport?" Kelsie asked.

"You haven't seen this guy's private jet, yet," Viktor commented. "Believe me. You'll never have to go to an airport again as long as he likes you." The five got out of the SUV and grabbed their luggage.

"Viktor, surely you exaggerate," Ian joked.

"No, sir."

Kelsie wanted to make a smart-aleky remark, or ask where this jet was, or whatever else she wanted to say, but she was stopped short. Viktor clearly didn't exaggerate. He couldn't, when it came to a fairly small aircraft too highly polished to miss from anywhere within a fifteen-mile radius with no visible obstructions. "Who knows how to fly this?"

"I do," Phil said, illiciting a confused glance from Ian. "Shaw taught me. He kind of knew he would die before he was forty-five."

AAA

Seats: tanned leather. Floor: carpeted. Reaction from Kelsie: Holy crap.

"You look like you haven't seen such a thing before in your life," Ian said with a laugh.

"I haven't. How do you afford all this?"

"I merely do my business. People under me follow their orders. People close to me I have a high amount of respect for. Come, have a seat." He gestured for her to sit in the aisle seat beside him. She complied and closed her eyes. "Do flights bother you?"

"Dunno. Haven't been flying before."

"In which case, just sit back and relax."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

"Shaw! SHAW! No, GOD, NO!" Ian shrieked, getting progressively louder. Kelsie stirred, wondering what could cause the disturbance, but Ian's eyes were closed. He was locked deep under Trinity Church, according to the media story about where the treasure was found, and there was no escape.

"Ian. Ian!" a disembodied voice snapped.

"Shaw?" Ian whispered as he opened his eyes. "Is that you?"

"Don't grieve for me, Ian. I'm watching you, like always. It's my job."

"Carry on."

AAA

Kelsie awoke under the impression that the previous night's events were a strange dream, until she saw Ian's peaceful, reassured expression. He was almost smiling in his sleep.

"Hey, lovebirds," Viktor said as he took a seat in front of the two.

"Quiet. Ian's asleep."

Phil yawned, managing a "Good idea" before he collapsed into a random seat and set to snoring.

"Alright then. I'll leave you two alone." Viktor retreated to the back of the plane and plopped into his seat.

AAA

Ian began waking two hours after Viktor tried to make conversation, and he seemed ready to go if Phil weren't still asleep. He withdrew the curtain, seeing that Phil had somehow landed them in a commercial airport. Apparently Shaw had taught him a lot more than how to fly a plane. "Phil?" he asked.

Phil snorted awake and responded with, "What?"

"Alright. I wanted to make sure you weren't high off air." At that moment, Kelsie's cell phone rang. She answered to a familiar voice.

"Dani, wassup?"

"Nothin' Kel, except you don't have to go to trial."

"What? How? Why?"

"The investigators said it was just too conclusive that you were defending yourself. The prosecutors don't have a case."

"Okay, good. One less thing to worry about."

"Hey, you wanna talk to Riley? He's here right now at the diner."

"Yeah, sure." Oh, God, what does he know? was the thought that raced through Kelsie's mind.

"Kelsie, 'sup?" Riley asked from the other end.

"Riley, what do you know and how do you know it?"

"I know Ben's letting me take over this part of the treasure hunt 'cause he doesn't have the background for it, and he told me that. I think some machines went into his brain and rewired him."

"It's the aliens. Has to be."

"Speaking of, the Men in Black are after you guys now."

"Why? We're not in interplanetary dealings."

"You will be if you're looking for what the little scrawls on Page 47 say you're looking for."

"What do they say?"

"And I quote, 'The book's been compromised...hid at aqua 51'."

"AUTEC!"

"You're as good as Ben."

"It's too damn obvious. Anywho, how long before the M.I.B.'s get here?"

"Where is 'here'?"

"Miami, Florida."

"Two days, at best. You guys get somebody to dive for the book, and we'll see what we can do from here."

"Got it. Talk to ya later."

"Bye."

After she hung up, she said, "Ian, how fast can you assemble a dive team and break into AUTEC?"

Ian withdrew his computer bag from his duffel and gestured for his three men to get off the plane. "Ladies first," he said to her, gesturing for her to step in front of him. "I just needed them off of here as fast as could be managed. Now, you and I will find a nice hotel, and Viktor, Phil, and Powell know what they need."

"They've been diving before?"

"The untold story of the hunt for the Templar Treasure. I'll have to tell it to you at some point."

AAA

Five star, gold-clad trim, elaborate water fountain in the lobby, Kelsie's jaw on the sidewalk. "First, private jets, and now all this?" she whispered, still struggling with her shock.

"I knew there was a divide, but I didn't know it was a chasm," Ian muttered to himself. Kelsie allowed Ian to check in and rent the rooms, and his cell blipped. "They've got what they need. They'll meet us here."

"They know the name of the hotel?"

"Yes. After all, this is the best I could think of." He held up the room key. "Eighteenth floor suite, two bedrooms and a main room."

"Dang. Dude, you have money the likes of which I'd never even seen."

"I figured it'd surprise you. Now, we have some settling in to do."

The suite didn't seem to fit the hotel at all. A large part of it was mahogany wood: desks, chairs, hardwood flooring, and half the wall on each side. The other half of the wall and the ceiling looked like a page out of a magazine: crystal chandeliers, silver trim, gold flakes for flowers. Kelsie wanted to just throw her bag on the floor, turn tail, and run, but she just couldn't. "Kelsie?" She looked at Ian, the spell was broken, and her knees gave out. "Kelsie! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just peachy." Ian helped her to her feet and they walked over to the first of the two bedrooms. Thankfully, they were a lot plainer than the main room, featuring single tone wallpaper and hardwood flooring, and bedclothes that one would expect in a high-end hotel: rich in color and texture, sometimes stringed with gold colored thread. "Much better."

"Perhaps you should rest."

"Wait," Kelsie said, grabbing Ian's wrist as he turned to leave. "Before you go, I wanted to do something." She turned him so that he faced her, got on her tiptoes, and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Something resembling pain had contorted Ian's features as she pulled away, and he turned and left.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

Ian Howe tried everything to calm himself down: pace, drink some hot tea, pace, take a hot shower, pace, allow his men to brief him, pace. All in vain. What was it that Kelsie had awakened in him that hurt him so deeply?

After he gave Viktor the directions to the second bedroom and waited until all three employees were inside, out of sight or earshot, he whispered, "Why?" His mind suddenly went back to a specific moment, back when Shaw was still alive.

"I'll understand if you love her," he'd said. "But there's only one person I'd give my last breath to."

So that was it, he thought. Ian knew Shaw had different opinions about love than the mainstream world, and he'd respected him all the same. Shaw. His best friend and the closest thing he'd had to a true brother.

Ian closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. As his brother in all but name, Shaw would want him to be happy. He enventually retired to the bedroom he shared with Kelsie.

AAA

"Yes, Riley, we're in the hotel, and the guys apparently have all the equipment. Ian has his computer bag."

"Okay, good. He's gonna need that."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. Now starting tomorrow we don't have any time to waste."

"Ben's letting you run the operation?"

"Yep, at least, for now. Remember, he doesn't know how to do this kind of stuff."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. It's getting late. We should probably sleep."

"I'll call you back tomorrow."

"Yeah, cool."

Kelsie hung up and set her phone on the nightstand when Ian walked into the room. "I hope you're not too terribly busy to sleep."

"No, no, I'm good. Riley called, wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"Yes, things are good, but you really must rest."

"Yeah, okay, got it."

"It's occurred to me that you might need my cell phone number."

Kelsie grabbed her phone and said, "Shoot." As he gave her the number, she typed it in and hit 'save'. After typing a few more things in, she set the phone on the nightstand again. "What? You gonna watch me crawl into bed and close my eyes?"

"Ladies first, I'd like to say, except when the lady in question needs to be guarded."

Kelsie climbed into bed, not taking her eyes off Ian, who climbed in beside her. "Just sleep, okay?"

"I swear."

AAA

"Ian! Ian, wake up!" Powell shouted, waking Kelsie instantly.

Ian stirred and grumbled, "This had better be worth something, Powell."

"It's the Men in Black. They're here!"

"Bloody hell! Where might Phil and Viktor be?"

"I already dispatched them. They're searching for AUTEC."

"This early?"

"Most guards would be asleep at this time of night."

Curious, Kelsie checked the time on her phone. 1:30 A.M. "Shit, it IS early. Where are the M.I.B.'s?"

"In the lobby, shmoozing the night watch."

"Great. How do we...? Oh, I'm an idiot. A place like this has to have emergency exits."

"Powell, take the three extra bags with you. We'll split up, and I'm sure one of them is full of Phil's collection."

"Collection? Collection of what?"

"Lingerie."

"He's lost it."

"He never had it."

"Had what?"

"His mind."

"Kels, I'll meet you...somewhere."

It registered in her mind that Ian hadn't changed before he went to sleep, so he was ready to go. She slipped on a pair of sneakers and snuck out into the hall, right behind Viktor. Ian and Viktor went one way, Ian breaking off at the next stairwell, and Kelsie took off in the opposite direction, running down thirty-six almost dizzying flights of stairs before breaking out at the emergency exit-into a fenced off space. "Don't do this to me now. Please," she said aloud, searching around for an exit. She eventually decided to climb the fence, in spite of the spikes at various spaces around the perimeter, which she readily struggled around.

Once Kelsie was free, she digged around in her duffel, hoping some part of its contents would give her an idea of where to go next, and she found it. Her wallet. What can I do with sixty bucks and a MasterCard I only used once? she thought. I know! She walked around front and within minutes was out of any line of sight the Men in Black might've had.

Five blocks later, she found it. 'Motorcycle Rental'. She walked into the shop and made small talk with the man behind the desk before they got down to business.

"Okay, miss, what can I do for ya?" he asked.

"I'd like to rent a motorcycle. I need to get to work, like, right now."

"Right this way, miss." He led her through the aisles and let her pick out a bike and she paid at the counter, using the credit card. Now all that's left is to find Ian, she thought.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

The streets of Miami were fairly crowded, but the shiny black cars were still very distinctive. Ian watched them speed past, not even noticing the fact that one of the "escapees" they were pursuing was watching. He signed and leaned into the seat of the rental car. What a day. It was one thing to be pursued by FBI agents, who took a human's time, but the M.I.B.'s were faster than that. Far faster.

He answered his cell phone just before it started audibly ringing. "Hello?"

"Ian, it's me. Where are you?"

"Kels, you're alright, and to answer your question, I'm at the corner of Fifteenth and Carter."

"Okay, I can get there. Any word from the divers?"

"They've managed to find and breach AUTEC, I don't know how, but finding the book or any sort of chest appears to be another matter, according to Powell."

"Okay. The Men in Black just drove by. Odd how they don't notice, isn't it?"

"Very much so. They're looking for those who've seen aliens so that they can keep the witnesses quiet."

"Do you think they know?"

"I don't believe they're trying the right method." His cell blipped. "Message from the divers."

Have found chest. Met up with Vik.

"Are they good?"

"We're better off than we've imagined. Shall I meet you back at the hotel?"

"Yeah, I'll walk."

"Excuse me?"

"Spent my last sixty in cash on gas for the bike."

"Alright. I'll see you."

AAA

Kelsie hung up, started the bike, and pulled out of the gas station, heading back toward the rental place to drop off the bike, thank the guy, and walk the five blocks to the Grand Hall Hotel.

She was seized from behind, and instantly, instinct kicked in. She tried anything to get free, to no avail, so she tried again. Kelsie flipped over until her attacker was on his back, and she again struggled free. Still, he held on. "You have what we want," he hissed in her ear, his cold breath kicking her adrenaline levels up even higher. She crashed her attacker's back into all sorts of surfaces multiple times, screaming at the top of her lungs in hopes of deafening the man. Once her back was turned on the street, three shots were fired, and her attacker collapsed.

"Viktor? You..." Ian's voice faded.

"Yeah, I guess I did."

"Thanks," Kelsie croaked. Viktor nodded in acknowledgement and Ian ran up to her.

"Are you alright? Have you been hurt? What did he say? Did he threaten you?"

"One at a time," she said quickly, cutting him short. "I'm okay, but I might be bruised. He said we had what they wanted, which could be interpreted as a threat. Any more questions?"

"No." He helped her to her feet, and they followed Viktor into the hotel.

"Safety in opulence, I guess."

"This time, you'll get a nice, long rest and there'll be as few disturbances as possible," Ian promised.

Ian couldn't resist holding her until she fell asleep and didn't mind lingering a while more, despite the fact that his shoulders were sore and his arms were falling asleep. He knew he couldn't stay any longer and reluctantly let her sleep in peace. He dialled a number on his cell and waited for the answer.

"Ben's phone, this is Riley."

"Where's Ben?"

"I dunno. He's been talking to the FBI for two hours now. They wouldn't say where, as usual."

"When you see him, could you give him a message?"

"What is it?"

"We've found the chest believed to contain the book, but a Man in Black has been killed."

"How? They aren't even suppsoed to be there yet."

"I'm still working on that bit, but you can shoot them to death."

"Good to know. I'll tell him."

"Thank you."

"Hey, Ian."

"Yes?"

"You and Kelsie...are you...?"

"As far as you and your friend are concerned, yes."

"Yeah, okay."

"Do you know anything about opening the chest?"

"I know you can pick the lock."

"Besides that. As in, who can read that book?"

"Beats me. No mere mortal is worthy of that book. Granted, most mere mortals aren't seers the way Kelsie is."

"Even so, she is a mortal. We'll see if we can keep her in some kind of dark until further notice."

"Got it."

"Any other options?"

"Throw it overboard, bury it, something. The Men in Black want it, and they want it really bad."

"Bad enough to kill for?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, you and your group just stay there."

"Ian-"

"Stay there!" Phil, Powell, and Viktor entered the room, all carrying cups of coffee. "I'll call you back when it's safe."

"Bye."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

Ian sat in one of the more cushioned wooden chairs, clad in his bathrobe and holding a cup of tea, largely to warm his hands. He'd wanted to ask Kelsie to be his girlfriend, but at the same time, he refused, rather adamantly, to put her in any form of danger. His mind then drifted back to Shaw, what had happened when Ben and his crazy ideas led his most faithful companion to his death.

Dammit, Ben, he thought. Damn you and your damn treasure! I hope this next hunt kills you! He got to his feet and threw the cup against a wall in one swift movement before collapsing to his knees.

Control yourself, Ian, he told himself as he got to his knees and threw away the remains of the cup. He slid against a wall until he sat cross-legged and tilted his head back.

And then his cell had to ring from the other room. Let it ring, he decided, and ring it did, until the phone took the caller's message. After a while, he got to his feet, entered the bedroom, and checked his Missed Calls list. Ben Gates. "Bloody hell!" He pressed 'Send' and waited.

"Ian, you're awake," Ben said, almost on the edge of sleep.

"Of course I'm awake, you bloody imbecile. What do you want?"

"You want us to stay where we're at? Ian, this is-"

"Life-altering. I know. We've been over this."

"What's your problem?"

"You're my problem, Gates! You're the one who led us to that stupid treasure, got my three remaining men and I arrested, and allowed Shaw to die!"

"I couldn't help the Shaw bit, okay?"

"So you just move on? Is it that easy? What if it were your geek, or your bitch?"

"It wasn't, and Abi's not a bitch."

"Ah, you blind-as-bloody-hell imbecile! What have you been doing over the past year?" Pause. "Exactly."

"So, what, you're leaving me out of it this time?"

"You've done enough." With that, Ian hung up. He leaned back and dozed off for about an hour before his phone rang again. "What do you want?"

"How fast do you think you can get to the Philadelphia Mercy Hospital?" Sadusky asked.

"Why?"

"There's something I need to show you."

"Expect me there tomorrow. It had better be worth it."

AAA

The first thing Kelsie noticed was that Ian was packing. "Leaving already?" she asked groggily.

"Apparently there's something I need to see." Pause. "Back in Philadelphia."

"What is it?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Is it worth the hassle?"

"It had better be."

"I'm coming with you."

"Why?"

"I can't stay here. We're surrounded by Men in Black who want that book, whatever it is, for whatever purpose they have."

"You're more concerned about your own safety than I thought you'd be."

"Yeah, and I'm sure your buddies would wanna come with, too."

"Of course. That's why I hired them. Now then, if you insist on coming with me, I suggest you start packing."

"Kels, I'm sure you're more than just a simple seer," Ian whispered to Kelsie as his three men hurriedly packed everything everything they owned that wasn't bolted down. They rushed down to the lobby and out the front door, waiting only for Kelsie and Ian.

"Alrighty, we can go now." Powell asked when the couple finally arrived.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven:

Sadusky led Ian through the corridors of the hospital, going on and on. "We'd found your buddy on a platform after he'd fallen through about five others like it, and he's been comatose ever since. We're considering pulling the plug, but-"

"No," Ian snapped. "I'm not losing Shaw again."

"Okay, if you insist..." Sadusky led Ian to a hospital room and allowed him access.

Ian had never figured out whether it was relief or shock, but within seconds, he blacked out.

AAA

Kelsie locked the chest in her bedroom and hid the key as well as she could before flipping through the want ads in a stranded newspaper for a job somewhere that could afford GoldenView's kind of rent. There were only two: National Archives secretary and a clerk at a high-end gift shop. Working at the archives brought this whole mess upon her, but some small part of her would've agreed to redo everything, no changes. Clerk-hood just sounded boring.

Putting the paper aside, she turned to the pile of mail she'd placed on her endtable earlier that day. Bill, bill, bill. Yes, she screamed in her head. Her last paycheck from the National Archives had arrived. Let's see, she thought as she skimmed the check's contents. Enough for the month's rent and a little extra. She put her mail back where she found it and lay down across the sofa.

Kelsie drifted slowly into trance mode, where she saw three figures boarding a boat in the middle of the night, surrounded by Men in Black. One of the figures yelled, "I told you this was a bad idea!" and another retaliated with something along the lines of "I'm sorry, okay?"

"So, what, you just keep treasure hunting? One of these days, it'll get you killed!"

"I know, Riley."

"But what?"

"But this is important."

"Not this time, it isn't."

"Riley, this is about history."

"No it isn't. It's about you staying at the top of your game. You just decided to play nice to me for a little while to see what it's like."

"Riley, you don't-"

"Know what I'm talking about? Yeah, I know what I'm talking about, and I'm sick of it."

"Don't do this to me."

"I'll do what I want, Ben."

The figure called Riley turned and stepped back onto the dock before the boat was fired upon.

As Kelsie stirred, one thing became perfectly clear. The book had to be destroyed as soon as possible.

She dug the key up from its hiding place and threw open her bedroom door, pulling out the chest as she went to shut the door again. As she scanned the scenery from her window, she realized finding a place to dig a pit would be a bit difficult. Finally, Kelsie Williams decided to take the matter to the front desk.

"Is there a place where I can burn this?" she asked.

"Here," the receptionist said as she handed Kelsie a key and said, "Burn it in the boiler. It's been needing some fresh fuel for some time."

She followed the receptionist's instructions, and the boiler room was cooler than she'd expected. Carefully, she opened the boiler and threw the chest inside.

And then her vision faded, and Kelsie collapsed.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

Ian stirred and opened his eyes, only to find that he, too, was lying on a hospital bed. "You've been placed under observation," Sadusky explained before his pocket blipped. He pulled out a cell phone to read the message and whispered, "Now, about the GoldenView intruder..."

"Intruder?" Shaw asked, and this was the first time Ian noticed that Shaw sat at his bedside.

"Yes."

"Shaw, if you're alive, that means I'm crazy."

"Were you hearing voices?"

"Yes."

"The human mind is an interesting piece of work, at least, so I've been told."

"Well, I'll leave you two alone," Sadusky sighed as he left.

"Thank God!" Ian almost cheered after the FBI agent left.

"Like I said, I won't mind if you love her, but there's only one person I'd give my last breath to."

"Shaw, how? How did you survive? I thought you were dead!"

"Some say it's a miracle of God, others say it's fate. I say it's my stubborn heart."

"I'd ask, but I have the feeling I should already know by now, don't you think?"

"Yeah."

AAA

Sadusky and a few fellow agents entered the GoldenView apartment complex, guns drawn. The receptionist asked, "Do you have a search warrent?" A nearby agent produced the document with an almost awesome ease. "Proceed."

"Where are they?"

"Somewhere in the basement. Shoulda taken 'em five minutes to steal that book they babbled about, but it's been almost thirty."

Sadusky led the agents into the basement, coming face to face with half a dozen quasi-soldiers, all armed to the teeth. "Who's your leader?" he asked, to no opposing man in particular.

"None of your business," one of the men said with a heavy accent.

"Why are you down here?"

"None of your business." The men drew their guns.

AAA

Kelsie came to, flat on her back, staring up at the most piercing pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen. The man who possessed them straddled her at the hips, and right away alarm bells pounded through her mind. She twisted her hips, flinging the man off, grabbed the nearest blunt object, and whacked him over the head. She then ran out the door and into the basement proper, where a bunch of guys were drawing guns on FBI agents. She struck the leader across the temple, and all six turned on her.

Come on, I need ideas, she thought, browsing her mental files at breakneck speed. She was a seer. Could she control it? She closed her eyes and focused on the here and now, and with the clarity of an HD news camera, she saw where their weak spots were. Kelsie and several FBI agents made quick work of each man, one at a time, by striking their individual Achilles heels.

The man Kelsie had seen after she awoke stumbled out of the boiler room, smiling smugly in a way that further strengthened his resemblance to Ian. "The Virgin Seer," he hissed. "So nice of you to join us."

Kelsie turned to run while Sadusky shouted, "Fire!" and the agents were upon the man, or so it seemed, because she didn't check.

AAA

Everybody and their mother's here, she thought as she parked the bike in the parking lot. She took her helmet into the Philadelphia Mercy Hospital and managed to convince the receptionist to allow her to see Ian. At Ian's bedside was a bald guy with a bandage on the back of his head, near his neck, and sporting all sorts of cuts, scars and bruises. This man was in a hospital gown, whereas Ian had been half-stripped.

"Kelsie, this is Shaw. Shaw, Kelsie," Ian said calmly, as if they were talking over a cup of tea or dinner.

"So how's he alive? I thought you said he died."

"I presumed him dead."

"So they didn't tell you?" Shaw asked Ian.

"Tell me what?"

"They didn't tell you sooner that I was comatose?"

"I didn't know until an hour ago."

"Ian, do you have any brothers who look exactly like you but are going grey?"

"No, I don't. In fact, the only person I know of who'd fit the description you have is Nathaniel."

"Who?"

"Ian's father. Apparently they don't speak. I've never been able to figure out why," Shaw explained.

Ian sighed and tried to bury himself in the hospital bed. "He has the weapon, doesn't he."

"I don't know, I didn't check."

"Is there a way to go after him?"

"Yeah, but there might be a catch..."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen:

Ben and Abi sat in their living room when Ben's cell phone rang. Before he answered, he checked the number and sighed.

"Who is it?" Abi asked.

"Ian."

"Answer it!"

"Sheesh, I will." He flipped the phone open and said, "What is it this time, Ian? Another treasure?"

"Not this time. My father has the book."

"Where do you want us to meet you?"

"Don't. It's too dangerous. Kelsie's already opted to pursue him, but we can't go any farther just yet."

"Where's she going?"

"Wherever Nathaniel's going, and I have no way of knowing where that is."

"Doesn't he have a cell phone or something?"

"His mobile is almost never on his person. There's almost no way of tracking him."

"Has she seen where he wanted to go?"

"Yes, but she wouldn't say."

"Did you find Shaw?"

"How would you know prior and I not until about an hour ago?"

"I don't know the FBI's procedures for disclosure, so I can't answer that question."

"Don't bother with that now. Where's Kelsie off to?"

"I can't answer, but I know someone who can."

AAA

"Riley, I really need your help," Ben said over the phone. Riley was in his apartment, working on his computer, when Ben had called.

"What is it this time, Ben?"

"Ian wants to know where Kelsie is. He doesn't know about-"

"'Kay, I get it. Give me, like, two minutes." In less than that amount of time, Riley had a generic tracking model up and asked. "What's her number?"

"Hold on." Five seconds later, Ben, Riley, and Ian were in a three-way conversation. Riley entered the number into the model as Ian dictated it to him, and the screen showed a blip going across Philadelphia, heading north.

"She's going to the President's speech."

"How's she going to stop Nathaniel?" Ben asked.

"She has to lie."

AAA

Kelsie parked the bike and left the helmet on the seat before spotting Nathaniel walk backstage. She ran up to follow him and was stopped by Secret Service agents. "I need to get back there. It's for a college project." The lie came easily enough, as had the details to back it up, and the agents finally let her through.

When Kelsie was within ten feet of Nathaniel, she noticed that he was carrying a gun, just like in her vision. The President walked up to the podium as Nathaniel cocked his gun, and time slowed to a crawl. Nathaniel pulled the gun to his eye level and took aim. Kelsie ran and leapt between the shooter and the President.

CRACK!

Her vision blurred. She tumbled over someone, maybe several others. Some people shouted, but their voices were becoming increasingly more distant. The house lights swayed and confused the images she was able to make out. She was aware of someone shouting with increasing urgency, but at first it appeared that no one heard that person.

Gradually, Kelsie was aware of the sharp pain in her shoulder, a pain which spanned at least two inches. She was the one shouting, shouting for Ian, Riley, somebody, something that made sense.

"I'll get you, you bloody bitch!" Nathaniel shouted, bringing her back to reality faster than any other stimulus thus far. The President just stared down at her, fascinated.

"You saved my life," he whispered.

"Absolutely, Mr. President," Kelsie managed through the pain and confusion. Various FBI agents and several civilians burst onto the stage at that moment, assessing the damages, and to one of the civilians, it seemed that it was almost too late. She closed her eyes and sleep took her.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen:

Shaw and Ian stood over Kelsie's unconscious form while Ben and Riley tried to have a decent discussion.

"Ben, treasure hunting is dangerous. I thought Shaw's near death proved that to you," Riley argued.

"Treasure hunting also revises history," Ben countered.

"What is it with you and history? You're obsessed!"

"Passionate."

"No, obsessed! The world's gonna keep going even if you don't keep treasure hunting."

"Yes, but you know I don't work desk jobs."

"Then write a book."

"That's your thing, and according to Ian, Nathaniel's now armed and dangerous. He just needs page forty-seven."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Everything."

"Just leave that freak to the FBI, will ya? Anyone who attempts to kill the President is bad news."

Ian opened the door to the hospital room and said to the two, "She's awake."

"How're ya feelin'?" Riley asked when they entered.

"Okay. I'm not sleep deprived, so..."

"You're not dead either," Ian commented, adding, "I'd rather have you sleep deprived than dead."

"I got shot in the shoulder. How could I be dead?"

"You could've bled to death," Shaw supplied, to the amazement of almost everyone present. "What? I know a few things about being near death."

"The doctors say she'll be released tomorrow morning."

"Wait. Where do I-?"

"My offer still stands."

"Okay."

"You're letting her stay with you?" Ben asked.

"Is there any reason why I shouldn't?" Pause. "That seems to be settled."

AAA

The next morning, Kelsie changed into the clothes Ian brought her, and he again launched into a bout of worrying. "I'm fine. I will be fine. Stop worrying so much," she snapped, effectively ending the conversation.

She rode with Ian, all the while musing about what to do with her life. Step one involved catching up with Nathaniel, but where would she go from there?

"Kelsie, I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"Will you...will you be my girlfriend?"

"I...I thought...you and Shaw were..."

"That's different. You and I in an official relationship is more socially acceptable."

"Is that the only reason?"

"That's one of the lesser ones. My main reason is this: I still love you. I love you in a way I couldn't love anyone else."

"I love you, too, but I don't want to hurt you."

"Shouldn't you know it takes a lot to do such a thing?"

"Yeah, I guess I should." Kelsie took a moment to dwell on the original question, trying to figure out what she wanted when it came to Ian. Finally, she said, "I can't. I'm going to leave the city, and possibly the state, soon. I need to find a new job, a new place, a new scene, and I can't stay here."

Ian sighed, already conceding his defeat in the matter. "Alright. Are you able enough to ride your motorcycle?"

"Yeah."

"Then with my luck, today is the last day you will ever see me."

AAA

Ian watched Kelsie ride away until her taillights disappeared from view before he pulled out of the GoldenView parking lot. He wanted to turn on the radio, but he feared the tear-jerking tunes that usually seemed to correlate with moments like this.

He pulled into a parking spot toward the end of his drive, closed his eyes, and willed his hands to stop shaking. Within the hour, he knew, Kelsie's heroic rescue of the President of the United States would be all over first the Internet and then every major news station in the country.

Eventually, Ian gave up and walked from the SUV to the front door of the mansion. The four other occupents all flashed curious, concerned glances his way, but no one wanted to comment. He ascended the stairs and crawled into bed, wishing to end the day as quickly as possible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE END...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...FOR NOW.


End file.
